Just when we thought we could put all of this season’s off-field ugliness behind us and finally start to focus on football, ESPN fanned the flames of controversy right as the coals seemed ready to die. We’ll once again have the game to watch as a welcome distraction as talking heads pile on and cast the team we love as some sort of seedy villains in a b-movie.
If you’ve read Kevin Van Valkenburg’s Outside the Line’s piece, you should go check out RSR Editor-in-Chief Tony Lombardi’s response here.
Meanwhile, in this week’s Crab Bag brought to you by Conrad’s Crab House, we promise to focus on the gridiron exclusively.
Let’s take a look at the stats, notes, and quotes as the 1-1 Ravens get set to take on the 1-1 Browns.
KNOW THY ENEMY
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Head coach John Harbaugh on CB Jimmy Smith’s potential:
“I believe Jimmy Smith is going to make history as a cornerback. I believed that from the day he got here. I’ve watched [him] progress. He’s one of the most coachable, teachable, hard-working, smart, talented players you’re going to find. And you’re going to see the fruits of that labor.”
CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco on listing CB Jimmy Smith as a Top-25 breakout player for 2014:
“In his third season with the Ravens, Smith started all 16 games in 2013 and showed an ability to match up in man coverage. He is big and physical at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and was one of the more underrated corners in the league last season. Watch him this season. … He might be on the verge of a special season, one that could get him to the Pro Bowl. Smith has all the tools to be an effective shutdown corner.”
Houston Texans T Duane Brown on OLB Terrell Suggs being voted the NFL’s 26th-best player:
“He’s just a freakish athlete. He’s a pretty big guy, but deceptively quick. He’s one of those guys that’s very crafty as well. [He] can come off the ball, and you don’t know how fast he’s going to go, and he can turn it on in a heartbeat. I think [after] watching him play [in 2013], he’s really, really turned it up a notch.”
TE Dennis Pitta on the value of having TE Owen Daniels:
“Owen has been a huge complement to what we’re doing here, and he’s, No. 1, a great football player. He’s had a lot of success in this league and continues to make plays out there. He’s been critical for me to be able to learn from. He’s been in this offense, I think eight or nine years, and done a great job at it. So, I’m able to bounce questions off him, see how he runs certain routes and how he does things. It helps me become better.”
Former Bears director of college scouting and National Football Post analyst Greg Gabriel on G Marshal Yanda:
“Marshal is your typical Iowa lineman, a really tough kid with his technique down to a science. He’s got that farm-boy strength, and you could run a clinic by watching his technique. He’s considered an overachiever because he’s undersized, but he’s as good at what he does as anyone in the league.”
GETTING TO KNOW YOU ~ Q&A with Matt Elam
Can you talk about your T.E.A.M. Elam Foundation that you started with your brother and your goals for it?
“Our foundation is basically [to] give kids knowledge and information to put themselves in the best situation. We take them to different sporting events like NBA games and NFL games to show them the bigger picture. We show them the way, provide information, what it takes and give them the exposure. It’s about exposure and knowledge, for the most part.”
You spent the offseason back at Florida and worked towards earning your degree – how did that go?
“My major is anthropology. I’m still in the process right now and am taking two online classes. [I’m] trying to hurry up and get my degree, because I left [college] as a junior, and I promised my mom I would get my degree. So, it was great chipping away at those credits and trying to get it over with, because there’s life after football.”
You also took a part-time job at Finish Line during the offseason. Why did you do that?
“I wanted to keep myself busy, and another thing, I have plans to open my own shoe store. I wanted to get that knowledge and see the ins and outs of it.”
Jimmy Smith recently talked about how you’re commanding the defense and becoming a vocal leader on the field. How have you prepared to step into that role?
“I study a lot more and get as much knowledge as I can from the older guys. It’s about taking on that role, the role [the coaches] gave me. I have to focus on communicating and learning the game, so it becomes slower.”
You played nearly every position on defense when you were in high school. Did you have a favorite?
“Middle linebacker is my favorite position. That’s because you’re always in the action. I’m a tough guy, so that’s where the tough men work.”
Person you’d like to trade places with for a week:
“Jay-Z.”
Person who has most influenced you:
“My older brother, Abram.”
Toughest game you’ve competed in:
“The first Cincinnati game last year.”
Favorite athlete of all time:
“Michael Jordan.”
Favorite movie:
“Little Giants.”
Favorite TV show:
“Family Guy.”
Favorite food:
“Spaghetti.”
Stingy Defense & Discipline Will Win A Lot of Games
HEY, YOU LOOK FAMILIAR! ~ Key Connections
Ravens general manager/executive vice president and Hall of Fame TE Ozzie Newsome played 13 seasons in Cleveland, recording 662 catches and 7,980 yards – the most in Browns history. He then held positions as a scout, assistant to the head coach/offense/pro personnel, and director of pro personnel before moving to Baltimore with the franchise as VP of player personnel in 1996.
The Ravens’ staff is comprised of many people who were invited to join the franchise when it moved from Cleveland: Sr. VP of public and community relations Kevin Byrne, Sr. director of football video operations Jon Dube’, VP of operations Bob Eller, VP of IT Bill Jankowski, Sr. VP of football admin. Pat Moriarty and head certified athletic trainer Mark Smith.
Ravens senior personnel assistant George Kokinis was the Browns’ general manager for part of 2008. Kokinis originally began his NFL career as an operations intern with the Browns in 1991 before moving to Baltimore with the franchise in 1996.
Baltimore director of pro personnel Vincent Newsome played the final two seasons (1991-92) of his career for the Browns. He then spent three seasons as a special assignment scout in Cleveland before becoming the Ravens’ West area scout in 1996.
Browns head coach Mike Pettine began his NFL coaching career in Baltimore as a coaching and video assistant in 2002. He was also a defensive quality control coach (2003), defensive assistant (2004) and outside linebackers coach (2005-08) for the Ravens.
Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller coached the Ravens’ offensive line from 2008-13. During that same period, Browns running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery held the same title in Baltimore. Browns D-line coach Anthony Weaver was a second-round draft choice by the Ravens in 2002. He went on to play four seasons (2002-05) in Baltimore.
Baltimore assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg was the special teams coordinator for the Browns from 2001-06, while Ravens defensive line coach Clarence Brooks served in the same role with the Browns in 1999.
Browns LB Paul Kruger (2009-12) was originally selected by the Ravens in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. In 2012, Kruger led the Ravens with 9 sacks and tied a franchise record with at least one sack in five-consecutive games.
Browns S Jim Leonhard started 13 of 16 games for Baltimore in 2008, recording 68 tackles, 1 sack and 1 INT.
Browns K Billy Cundiff kicked in 28 games for the Ravens from 2009-11, connecting on 66 of 83 FGAs (79.5%). In 2010, he made 26 of 29 attempts (89.7%) and scored 117 points to earn Pro Bowl honors.
Browns college area scout Chisom Opara spent the 2004 season as a player personnel assistant with the Ravens and originally signed with the team as an undrafted free agent (Princeton) in 2003.
College Connections
Browns RB Terrance West attended Towson (MD) University (2011-13), where he scored a total of 84 TDs over three seasons. Also, Browns defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil served as the defensive coordinator and DBs coach for Towson in 2005.
Browns assistant LBs coach Brian Fleury was a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland (2003-04) and the secondary/special teams coordinator at Towson University (2009-12).
Hometown/High School Connections
Ravens senior VP of football administration Pat Moriarty was born in Cleveland and inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame at Benedictine HS. Head coach John Harbaugh (Perrysburg), defensive coordinator Dean Pees (Dunkirk), inside linebackers coach Don Martindale (Dayton) and FB Kyle Juszczyk (Medina) were also born in Ohio.
Several Browns players hail from Maryland:
DB Johnson Bademosi (Silver Spring), DB Joe Haden (Fort Washington), RB Ben Tate (Salisbury), DL Phil Taylor (Clinton) and RB Terrance West (Baltimore). Assistant LBs coach Brian Fleury is from Germantown, MD.
LAUGH OF THE WEEK AT EXPENSE OF RAVENS’ OPPONENT
